The Summer of Princess Rose
by limegrooves101
Summary: Time has passed. Years have gone by. Now, Mario and Peach's daughter, Rose, must have her own adventures. Young Rose is amidst a whole new generation of proud descendants of infamous individuals such as Bowser, and more. How will her future turn out - is she the new Mario, the new Peach, or just Rose Toadstool herself? Read to find out. (Rated T for safety)
1. The New Princess

**Rose Maria Toadstool** was born with not a care in the world. And what else was there to be expected? After all, she was none other than the daughter of Mario and Peach Toadstool! When her parents married each other many years ago, they became King and Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom, making Rose a Princess.

But then again, I say "many years ago" like Mario and Peach had said their vows eighty or a hundred years ago. In reality, it had only been a little more than twenty- five years ago, when Peach was twenty-three years old and Mario was twenty- one. Peach discovered that she was expecting shortly thereafter, and that was when Rose's story began.

The whole kingdom was abuzz about the "new Princess" and it seemed as if it was the only thing they were able to talk about during the nine months of Peach's pregnancy. One question was often wondered; would Rose follow in her father's footsteps, protecting the kingdom and fighting off enemies in his place, or would she fit into the more traditional role and become a beautiful Princess, just like Peach was, and had always been?

"She'll be like her Dad, for sure," some would say. "It'll be inevitable, with the great influence he will definitely have on her. She'll probably rebel against her mother's 'proper princess' rules and go out to fight as soon as she can. She'll probably resent being a princess with all her heart."

"No, she's going to be the next Princess Peach," others would argue. "I bet she'll be twice as beautiful, if that is even possible, and she will be raised as a royal extraordinaire from a very young age, to the point where she doesn't know another life. She'll rule the Mushroom Kingdom well as a regal Queen one day."

All these questions and ponderings continued even after Rose was born.

"Look at her with her old man!" people would say, pointing at released or leaked photographs of her with her father. "See, I told you, he's already influencing her. Looks like we'll be having a new protector for the Kingdom very soon. ... Are those _overalls_ she's wearing?"

And once again, others would respond, "What a lovely, beautiful young Princess we have been given! In those lacy dresses her mother's bringing her out in, she looks like true Mushroom Kingdom royalty."

Mario and Peach cherished their daughter with the most intense intensity they could manage, muster or imagine. After all, she had all of their best qualities. From a very young age it was visible that the young girl had Mario's adventurous spirit and nearly uncrackable bravery, and yet also Peach's royal put- togetherness, beauty, intelligence, and elegance.

Another reason for which Rose was so important to the Kingdom was because her parents had basically retired their old roles. Mario never resigned, but it seemed that Bowser had, and no other enemy threatened the Kingdom, for some reason. With Peach no longer getting kidnapped, Mario no longer needed to save her, and so they lived happily and peacefully in the castle, raising their young daughter as a true royal descendant for reasons they couldn't deny.  
There were rumors - likely rumors - that Bowser was training and raising his children, specifically Bowser Jr., in a similar fashion - to take on his old role later in life. In fact, his other children had flocked around different parts of his Kingdom, living a somewhat more independent life while Junior's life was focused on being the next Bowser.

Had Junior been opposed to being the next Bowser, his life would surely had been an unspeakable misery thanks to his father's training - but that was not the case. Junior was eager, nearly prepared, and full of youthful zest. He was very young, but when he would reach the age of sixteen or seventeen, Bowser had decided, he would probably be ready. Be ready to be the next big threat that his father once had been.

But that was not all. Luigi and Daisy had also married, and, as a newlywed couple, resolved to move to Sarasaland and be King and Queen in the castle there. Since they had married somewhat later than Mario and Peach, they did not have any children yet, but were planning to, and this new and promising expansion of the family would also, no doubt, play a large role in everyone's lives.

But I digress. I will bring the reader back to Princess Rose, who, as years passed, eventually came upon fourteen years of age. Her birthday was in the month of May, just as the excitement for summer was starting to slowly but surely blossom. At this time, her parents were amazed. They could not have been more proud of her; she was exceeding all of their expectations.

First of all, Rose was stunningly beautiful. She had clear, expressive, and mesmerizing blue eyes that looked like pools of silky and cooling water on a hot day. These eyes were framed with long, thick eyelashes and arched eyebrows. Her cheeks were the perfect rosy color, and her skin was light, soft, and smooth. Her lips were like a spring rosebud, of a slightly brighter pink. She was, indeed, her mother's daughter in that department. Her face was sweet and innocent- looking, yet packed with charisma and lovely emotion. Her hair was long, reaching practically to her waist, and it was a rich dark-chocolate brown color, silky, thick, shiny, and smooth. It fell in elegant bouncy curls, and felt almost unreal to the touch - that was just how perfect it was.

Rose's personality was also quite enviable. She was brave, but full of rationality. She would never jump into a strange situation unprepared. She was passionate, but not overly emotional. In fact, she was rather calm and she let logic play a role in her moods as well, which was very admirable. She was humorous and very entertaining, but not to the extent where she became some kind of a circus animal. She was popular, but she was always modest and kind. Rose really had a heart of gold as well; she would never look away from someone in need.

She was also very successful. It seemed that whatever she did, she would succeed at it. She was fit, and a fast runner; she had nearly perfect grades; she was quick to respond properly in emergencies. She read thick books and finished them quickly; she had a strong memory and was full of useful knowledge. She was respectful, and yet she was admired. She seemed to be able to instantly professionally play any instrument she lay her hands on, and had the voice of a nightingale. She was practically a prodigy ...

All in all, Princess Rose dazzled the entire kingdom. The townsfolk knew that Mario and Peach's daughter would be quite the gem, but they didn't expect such a shining star of a diamond. Rose knew she was respected, so she carried herself with pride, but never self-centeredness.

"I always have room to improve," she would say. "I always have more things that I can do to make my parents, and my Kingdom, proud. I know my future is bright and active, and I want to be prepared for the things to come."

When such wise things passed Rose's lips, it was hard to believe that she was simply a fourteen-year-old Princess. Mario and Peach were extremely confident that Rose would make both a successful protector of the kingdom and an ideal Princess or Queen.

"What future do you want, Rosie?" They would sometimes ask her. "Your father's, or your mother's?"

"We shall see what my destiny holds," she would respond. "Fate will help me decide."

In the meantime, however, with no great threat to the Kingdom currently present, Rose would be Princess Rose Maria by day, executing royal duties practically flawlessly and leaving crowds in awe, but when her "work day" was over, and she had finished her lessons with her tutors, daily responsibilites, and more, she would come to spend time with her parents in the relaxed atmosphere of the twilight castle.

It was then, with her parents, that she was their Rosie, when they praised her and loved her, or gently suggested things that she could do better at - which she always listened to attentively. It was during one of those evenings that Mario asked her, "Rosie, have you heard the rumors about Bowser and Bowser Junior?"  
A worried expression quickly overcame Rose's face, yet in the most delicate manner. "I believe I have," she said. "Is this about Bowser training Junior to become the next big threat?"

"Yes," her mother nodded, with a strikingly similar expression and voice. "We're worried about you, dear. Because I no longer am what I was so many years ago, and neither is your father, you are the new Princess. We're worried that Bowser Junior would kidnap you and there would be no one to help."

Rose looked onto her parents' faces. They both still had their charisma and old personalities about them, but their hair was greying, and wrinkles creased their faces - some slight, some deeper. And, after all, she had just turned fourteen years old last month, for it was the gleeful month of June. Summer was beginning. And yet, what did this mean for Bowser's dark kingdom? This meant opportunity, as much as it meant a good rest to Rose. She looked downwards. She seemed to be full of thought, then looked up with a look of determination on her face.

"Mom, Dad, I won't fail you, you know that. If I cannot save myself, someone else will come around to do it, but I doubt that I am so undertrained. Dad, you've been coaching me since I was a very young girl. Am I not on my path to becoming some kind of, well, you?" she asked.

Mario nodded slowly, realizing and taking in what his daughter was saying.

"And Mom. Pardon me, but I have learned from your mistakes, as you have asked me to, and I will not repeat them. Our Kingdom has taken many more preucations that will help if Bowser's old power and reign returns. Is it not the new generation's task to continue their parents' destinies?"

Peach smiled. "I can see that we have raised you well," she said. "You are truly fit to be both of us until a more convenient situation comes along. And no matter what happens, you're always fit to be royalty."

"I just hope it isn't gonna be _Bowser's_ royalty," Mario muttered. "We must remember why Bowser even wanted to kidnap your mother in the first place, Rosie."

Rose shivered. Her, _married to Bowser Junior_? That would be _horrid_! She would be devastated, to say the least. What if she would suffer the fate her mother had managed to avoid, what if - _No, no, no_. It was not going to happen. She would not be married to Bowser Junior, it simply could not be.

All she managed was a quiet nod.

"Life will test me soon," she said. "and so, I must study for it."

Then she stood and walked in the direction of her rooms.


	2. Aunt Dais

**Guest: Thanks for the heads-up! It's strange that I forgot that, I guess it slipped from my mind since I was writing the first chapter at like 2am in the morning. I've corrected it in the first chapter now.**

The next morning, Princess Rose knew exactly where she was going. Dressed in a beautiful sundress-style gown, she quickly made her way over to the train station hoping that she wouldn't be recognized. Her parents had given her permission to leave the castle for the day, and even without an escort (which Rosie found strange, considering that they had just told her yesterday night that she was in danger), but she did not want to be mobbed by paparazzi or adoring fans, and so she almost ran into the train car to Sarasaland.

Yes, Sarasaland was her destination. It seemed that whenever Rose needed help or advice on top of her mother's, she would go to visit her aunt and uncle in their Kingdom. It was curious, to view them like this. They had always been somewhat the "second-best" of the group - the "other" Mario and the "other" Peach. They had gotten so used to it that it didn't bother them anymore, and they always had good advice to share when she felt left out, neglected, or, in turn, overly glamorized. It was lovely to visit them, and because they lives were quite leisurely the past few years, Rose was always welcome to come over for as long as she wanted.

It was not long before the train reached the sandy hills of Sarasaland. The desert world's hot sun almost burned through the windows, and Rose was extremely glad to have worn something light for clothing. She stumbled through the announcement of the train's arrival and crept away from the busy area of the station, praying to remain unrecognized. In Sarasaland that risk was lower than in her own home, but she was quite well known here as well, and she needed to make sure she didn't draw too much attention to herself.

The Castle was not too far away from the Train Station, and she soon found herself at the gates. There were two Toad guards at the door. They did not look too intimidating, but it was clearly evident that they were trying to look as scary as they could, even if they were only a few feet tall.

"What do you come here for, Miss?" one asked.

"Hello, I am Princess Rose Maria of the Mushroom Kingdom," Rose said. "I am here to visit the King and Queen."

The Toad's eyes widened when he realized who he was talking to.

"Ohh, uhhh, y-yes, Princess, I'm s-sorry I couldn't recognize you without y-your c-crown ... Of course, of course, I'll ... l-let the King and Queen know you're coming and I'll-I'll l-let you in ... " he hastily opened the mighty gate. The young Princess thanked him and entered the Castle.

The Castle was just as someone would imagine it - styled in desert-style and with citrus colors, seemingly glowing with joy and freedom. Rose sighed with pleasure; she loved it here. She could almost smell the juicy, fresh oranges and lemons that grew in the royal gardens.

She was greeted many times, sometimes as Rosie, sometimes as Rose, and sometimes just as Princess. It all depended on how everyone knew her. Some people would whip around and call out, "Hey, Rosie! That's our girl, showing up to visit like she promised! High five!" while others would say something like, "Good morning, Princess. It is a pleasure to see you again." No matter who said it, however, Rose would smile and nod, sometimes laugh, at her friends. She was glowing with joy and relaxation.

"Excuse me, Lara, do you know where the King and Queen are?" Rose asked a maid that she was somewhat familiar with.

"Yes, Princess, they're currently in the Throne Room. Do you know where that is?" the maid, Lara, responded.

"Of course. Thank you," Rose said with a nod and started of towards the Throne Room.

The Throne Room was in, obviously, the most prominent part of the castle. It was, in fact, on the very upper floor, right next to the Royal Rooms and the Royal Balcony. The hot early-summer sunshine filled the Throne Room, and sparkled on the citrus-colored, elegant thrones. Rose was almost there, she only needed to pass another set of Toad guards at the door.

Before they could say anything, she hastily introduced herself.

"Greetings, I am Princess Rose Maria of the Mushroom Kingdom," she said. "I wish to enter the Throne Room, if that is possible."

"Yes, of course," the guard responded in a similar official manner. "The King and Queen have been alerted of your visit and cannot wait to see you again. Please, welcome."

The Toad opened the gates, and there, in the Throne Room, sat King and Queen Luigi and Daisy. They had such grand titles, yet they, and Rose thought this in the best way possible, did not fit them. They both had such comfortable, warm personalities - Daisy never was the "perfect princess" that Peach was, and never would be. That was one of the things Rose had always loved about her. She had two seeming mother figures; her wise, regal actual mother and her fun-loving, tomboyish aunt. She cherished them both equally; it was impossible to choose one, it seemed. But then again, who would want to choose and pick apart their family by rankings?

"Rosie!" her aunt and uncle exclaimed. "It's _so_ great to see you again!"

"I heard that you were coming and I made arrangements for you to have lunch here," Luigi said, smiling. "There's pasta in the adjoining kitchen, if you would like some."

Rose's eyes lit up instantly. Somehow, she had inherited her father's love for Italian food - and, well, just food in general.

"I would love that," she said.

"I'm sorry to leave, but I have some deals to fix," her uncle said. "I'll be back soon, I promise, but you two can hang out just fine together, am I right?"

Rose and Daisy laughed and nodded. Once Luigi had left the room, Daisy said eagerly, "Come on, Rosie, let's get the pasta while it's hot! And you can tell me just _why_ you came over here."

"Can't a niece miss her aunt?" Rose giggled.

"A niece misses her aunt for _reasons_ ," Daisy replied, grinning.

* * *

The two young women were eating the pasta in the adjoining kitchen of the Throne Room (which was basically just Luigi and Daisy's private kitchen. Daisy had it installed because she said she didn't want to be seen running around in her pajamas in the middle of the night looking for the castle's kitchen because she needed a drink of water) when Daisy asked the question.

"Rosie, don't get me wrong, I love having you here, but you always have one specific reason to come and you never tell it to me straight out," she said. "Now might be a good time."

Rose sighed. "Aunt Dais ... there's problems. Have you heard the rumors?"

"What rumors, specifically? As a Queen, you hear a lot of 'em," Daisy said leisurely, focused on what was left on her plate.

"The rumors about Bowser ... and Bowser Junior."

Daisy's attention was noticeably caught.

"I've heard _something_... " she muttered. "Your parents must be so worried about you."

"Yes, they really are. I'm worried about _myself_. I've been trained for this kind of thing my whole life, but now that it's happening-"

"Now, hold on," Daisy interrupted gently. "Nothing's happening yet. Just try to think like one of the Mushroom Kingdom's residents."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"To most of them, the whole Bowser rumor is just a petty, well, rumor. All they know is that they have one grand Princess that they're proud of, who is doing a magnificent job ruling the kingdom alongside her parents. They don't think anything's 'happening' yet, is that not so?"

"You're right," Rose added slowly. "I think I should just go with the flow and see what happens, or something. After all, there's not much that can be done right now."

Daisy's facial expression brightened, though her eyes still showed a hint of worry.

"Good girl," she smiled. "See, I've told you before, you can figure out these things on your own."

"But it's so much _clearer_ with you," Rose pouted jokingly. "I get it now. Thanks, Aunt Dais."

"No problem. Just remember, one day you'll be giving this kind of advice," Daisy said.

"That's why I need to be prepared," Rose responded.

It was at that point that Luigi came back to the Rooms. The three had a good time playing board games together, telling jokes, and laughing heartily. It almost made Rose forget her worries. When she was in such a peaceful state, it was hard to think about being kidnapped or forcefully married, or being at the stake of death. It was hard to remember that she was a Princess - a Princess in possible danger. When all was said and done, Rose hurried back home in the trains, luckily avoiding too much attention yet again.

When she made it back home, she hastily, yet respectfully greeted her parents and ran up to her room to relax as yet another beautiful sunset started to seep into her windows.

 _The days are getting longer and longer_ , Rose allowed herself to peacefully think. _This summer, I'm going to have so much fun . . . . I'm going to go swimming with my friends, and roll around in the grass, and laugh so much. I'm going to have so much extra time to unwind, and it's going to be so memorable._ She gleefully closed her eyes, and let the sunshine stroke her skin. This summer was going to be amazing . . .

. . . If only nothing went wrong.


	3. A Glimmer in the Night

**Hello again! Thanks, James Birdsong, for the review. This chapter is a bit delayed, but it introduces a lot of action which makes it a bit longer, so I hope you enjoy it.**

She was in pain. She was being grabbed, tugged at, and pulled sharply into darkness. She tried to scream, but the relief of it wouldn't come. So instead, she struggled with all her might, but the pull was too strong, and she just kept falling, and falling, and falling ...

Rose woke up in a cold sweat. She could feel her heart thudding in her head. Her blood was hot and rushing, and yet she shivered. Her eyes darted around frantically until she realized with great relief that she was in her familiar pink bedroom. She could see one of her favorite childhood dolls looking at her from her desk (she kept it there because it helped lift her mood sometimes), and everything seemed quite the same. Her wall clock was ticking and pointing to 2:34 AM. The moonlight illuminated the room, and she could almost hear the crickets chirping outside through her panic.

 _It's okay, Rose, everything's fine_ , she assured herself. _It was just a bad dream._

She tried to lie down and pull the covers back over her head, but she couldn't fall asleep. She was weak and exhausted, and yet she was still unable to do as much as simply close her eyes. She hadn't had a nightmare in _years_... even when the Kingdom's business got so stressful she almost wanted to cry, she still slept peacefully. So why did she have a nightmare so terrible _now_ , when she had fallen asleep in a luxurious peace? Her logical mind was intent on figuring it out, while her body was begging for rest.

Shaking, Rose got up and out of her canopy bed and staggered over to her desk. On her desk lay something she had feared touching all day - a fresh copy of _The Daily Mushroom_ , the Kingdom's most popular and trustworthy newspaper. Normally, she would have read it with eagerness - for what Princess did not know her Kingdom's news? But today, she had been worried and anxious that she would see something Bowser-related. She knew it was unlikely, and that everyone mostly thought it was just a silly rumor, just like her Aunt had said, and yet she wondered if that had changed. She couldn't decide if she wanted the Kingdom's citizens to know or not. On one hand, she did not want everyone horrified for her and full days full of panic and anxiety, but she also wanted everyone to be prepared. Was it selfish to choose her comfort over the Toads'? She couldn't decide that either.

 _I shouldn't be thinking about such serious things in the middle of the night_ , she thought to herself once more. And yet, she sat down at her desk, and, pushing her messy hair out of her way, she turned on the small lamp at her desk and strained her eyes as she read the first few pages of the paper. Everything seemed fairly normal; nothing unusual seemed to be reported. She found herself sighing with relief. There was one political cartoon depicting Bowser's "return," though, but it was clearly meant to be nothing but humorous and was simply making fun of the situation. She relaxed, for the Kingdom's sake. She didn't want everyone in a panic just yet - enough people were worried already.

She sighed, turned off her lamp, and flopped herself back into bed, as much as she wanted to find out more. She looked up at her ceiling - it was clean and flawless, which relaxed her eyes. Then she looked through her window at the stars. They were twinkling and sparkling in great abundance. The moon was nearly full, and it gave the whole scene a very majestic glow. Then, suddenly, she saw something unusual glimmer in the sky, far away. Curious and somewhat afraid, she quickly ran up to her window. She knew it was probably just some kind of private airplane, but who would be out flying at this time?

Then, it disappeared. Rose had almost completely accepted the fact that she had probably missed it, and just as she was about to turn back to her bed, it flashed by the moon. And it was right then that she saw the silhouette and she could feel her blood run cold in her veins.

Perhaps she was mistaken ... she _hoped_ she was ... but the silhouette was unmistakable.

It looked exactly like Bowser's Clown Copter.

* * *

Bowser smiled, as he often did when he witnessed his son's success at something. Junior was returning from a ride on the Clown Copter, which was an act of relaxation, observation, and training at the same time. Bowser had grown so trusting of his youngest son, in fact, that he allowed him to drive his favorite vehicle, as well as doing many other advanced things. Bowser had turned sixteen just a few days ago, and the old King was considering his plans. This summer seemed like a good time to execute it; Junior seemed quite ready, and from what he had heard, the Mushroom Kingdom's new Princess Rose, daughter of his archenemy, Mario, was now fourteen years old, which was old enough for her to be instrumental in his plan.

It was then that the Clown Copter landed in its proper "parking spot" near the Castle, and Junior eagerly climbed out of it. It must be said that those who remembered Junior back in his time of being just a baby or a very young toddler, would not have recognized him. Instead, they would probably think that Bowser had somehow found a youth potion, because Junior looked almost identical to Bowser in his youth - a time even before Bowser and Mario's rivalry began, and that was quite a while ago.

Bowser _wished_ he could have started his "career" at an age so young, and he _wished_ he could have received the advanced training he believed he was rightfully delivering to Junior. In fact, Bowser and his son were so alike that he imagined that when he would pass away, a time that would inevitably come, since Junior would become King Bowser II, he would have the same threatening and unspeakably intimidating appearance that Bowser, once again, strongly believed that he had had a few decades ago, before he went into what everyone seemed to assume was permanent seclusion, caused by shame from being defeated by the Mushroom Kingdom one too many times.

Those _fools_. They had no _idea_ what was coming their way. They had no _idea_ of the revenge plot he had spent years constructing. Bowser grinned at his approaching son.

"Hey, Dad," Junior said. "my test of the 'Copter went with no problems."

"Really?" Bowser asked. "There were no issues with flying in the night?"

"No," Junior responded, with a hint of pride. "We trained for that, didn't we?"

"Heh, I guess you're right," Bowser responded. "I have something important to discuss with you, actually."

"Does this involve your ... plan?" Junior questioned in a slightly hushed voice.

"Yes, but we shouldn't discuss it right here, out in the open. Follow me inside the Castle; we'll talk about it in there."

Once the father and son had entered the castle and begun walking along the long, marbled halls (which were covered in pictures of Bowser and his children, but mostly of Bowser. There were even a few pictures of Bowser at Junior's age, which, not surprisingly, strongly resembled Junior), Bowser immediately started talking.

"I think it's time for my plan to begin," he said, somewhat excitedly.

"You mean I'm ... ready?" Junior responded incredulously.

"Yes," Bowser stated simply. "You're clearly very skilled, you're a fast learner, and you're of just the right age - and so is the Princess."

"The Princess?" Junior asked, confused. "Princess Peach is no longer a Princess, she is a Queen. You know that, right?"

"Yes, of _course_ I know that," Bowser responded quickly. "Oh, how odd, I guess I never told you about the new Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom."

"I'm inclined to agree," Junior said. "There's a new Princess? I didn't know that."

"Yes, well, there's a new Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. She's the daughter of my lovely Peach and that disgusting, low-life plumber, Mario. She's named Princess Rose Maria Toadstool, I believe, and she's recently turned fourteen years old. She is instrumental to my plan," Bowser explained.

"Mario had a _daughter_?!" Junior exclaimed. "Wait, so does this mean Mario is King of the Mushroom Kingdom now?"

"Unfortunately, that's right," Bowser said with a sigh. "As if he didn't have enough attention already."

"So, what's your plan?" Junior asked. "You never told me the full thing."

"That was because you weren't _ready_ to know," Bowser continued. "In fact, my plan is quite simple. Here's what you're going to do. You're going to kidnap the Princess, but you're going to do it in a different manner than what I used to do before. Instead of causing a huge scene, you are to be stealthy and careful. Not a single resident of the Mushroom Kingdom must know that you were ever present, and no one must be harmed - yet. The Princess should be somehow lured into an empty area, alone - how this will be done is up to you - and then snatched and swiftly brought here. In this Castle, she must be treated like the Princess that she is - she will live in a luxurious room, not a prison cell, and treated with the utmost respect and dignity by servants, no matter how much she resists and protests. All escape possibilities will be strictly cut off, and once she has lived in that room for a few days, she'll probably calm down a little bit - and that's where we step in."

"I'm listening," Junior confirmed attentively. "Go on."

Flattered by the attention he was receiving, Bowser kept talking. "Because her parents have probably coached her many times and prepared her for these situations, she's probably prepared to imagine that she will be forced to marry you. That is not our goal at all, but she doesn't need to know that. And so, she and her little Kingdom will be warned that if they don't surrender, that's exactly what's going to happen. Now, of course, Mario wouldn't want his sweet little girl in that kind of trouble, so it won't be long until he takes measurements to save her. We can expect anything; maybe he'll go alone, maybe he'll go with a bunch of family members; maybe he'll send someone different entirely; it doesn't matter. Our Army has been undergoing heavy training for years, and is almost three times larger, and more vicious, than it was before. I have learned from my past mistakes; and we will hit Mario and his sidekicks with something totally unexpected. Are you following me here?"

"Yes, Dad," Junior nodded. "But if our plan isn't for me to marry her, then what are we going to do with the Princess?"

"Right. I'm getting there," Bowser reassured his son. "Now, I can practically guarantee you that she will not cooperate. She will be screaming that she won't tell us anything, she won't give away any secret information, she won't talk to us, and that we can do whatever we want to her but she will remain silent. Plus, she probably doesn't even know too much valuable information, since she's only fourteen, anyway. Interrogating her is not a priority. What we're going to do, Junior, is _brainwash_ her."

" _Brainwash her?_ How?!" Junior exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Kamek and I have been perfecting a hypnosis spell for years and _years_ now, and we finally have it - Kamek says it's guaranteed to work, and Kamek's usually right in these situations. In the worst case, if it doesn't work, we could always just keep the Princess captive until we come up with something that does. Basically, we'll brainwash the Princess to believe that she was betrayed and abused by her parents, that her rightful place is in the Dark Land, and that the Mushroom Kingdom is her enemy that must be conquered. You see, my son, Princess Rose knows many things and has such a bond with her parents that when she is revealed to them in her 'new form,' it will probably shatter their hopes, and break their hearts, and all that stuff. And then they will do two things - either give up and hand over the Mushroom Kingdom, or fight - and if they choose the second option, they will be easily overpowered. And when that happens, we will have a powerful new ally in the Princess. That's all we have for now," Bowser concluded proudly.

"Wow ... , " Junior muttered, stunned. "That's ... _genius_!"

"I know," Bowser replied. "and I also know that you are completely ready for this. How have you been able to achieve so much progress and success at such a young age?"

"Well," Junior cracked a smile, nearly recovered from his shock. "I learn from the best, don't I?"

Bowser laughed heartily. "Good answer!" He responded, slapping his son on the back. "Good answer."

* * *

It was with a great struggle that Rose fell asleep that night. She dreaded the next morning, when she would have to tell her parents all about what she had seen. It would have been so much easier to pretend that it had never happened, and she hated worrying them, but she knew informing them was the right thing to do.

Rose had no more nightmares that night, but that didn't comfort her much, because somehow she could feel that her own _life_ was about to become a nightmare.


	4. Mom? Dad?

**Hello again! I had a small case of writer's block, so this chapter was a little overdue, but here it is! Without further ado, let's get into it :)**

Rose walked into her parents' rooms slowly and quietly, with an empty hope that they would be absent, but no such luck.

"Hey, dear, what are you doing here?" her mother asked. "I thought you were going for a walk."

"I ... can't." Rose struggled to find her words. "It's ... too dangerous ... ?"

Mario might have not been fully listening to his daughter before, but he surely was now.

"What? What happened? Did you escape?! DO I NEED TO SEND REINFORCEMENTS?!" He exclaimed.

"Calm down, Dad. I'm not getting kidnapped ... yet." Rose smiled, but then her tone got serious again. "Mom, Dad, I'm going to tell you something very important and frightening and you need to _promise_ me that you won't panic, okay?"

"I'm already starting to panic, just because you feel the need to _warn_ us," Peach said. "What _is_ it?"

Rose took a deep breath, resolving to just say it all at once before she could regret it. "Last night I accidentally woke up in the middle of the night and went to the window, and I saw something in the sky among the stars ... and it disappeared and then it appeared again against the moon and it was ... it was the silhouette of the Clown ... the _Clown Copter_." Her face was wild, her eyes full of worry but still trying to contain her panic.

"No, no, _no_ ," Mario started muttering. "It _can't_ be. It was supposed to be _years_ before that happened, you should have at least been _queen_ by then ... Are you _sure_ it was the _Clown Copter_ and not just someone's air balloon? _How_ can you be _sure_? Are you _sure_? You _can't_ be sure."

"I'm afraid I'm sure," Rose stated solemnly. "It couldn't have been anything else."

"I would believe Rosie," Peach said in a trembling voice. "She's usually right about these things. I ... can't _believe_ this. I ... " she stopped talking and looked like she was about to break into fits of tears. "This can't be right! How _old_ would Bowser Junior even _be_ now, anyway?!"

"Sixteen years old," Mario said resentfully.

"Really? Only sixteen?" Peach asked with sudden clarity. "I remember him as a pretty well-grown baby ..."

"Well, Rosie was born not long after that," Mario responded. "I think him being sixteen sounds about right. He's probably going to be doing his father's work now, which is just ... _fantastic_ news for us," he added sarcastically. "Just _fantastic_."

"Well," Peach said, "We've learned from my kidnappings, haven't we? I doubt Bowser Junior would go a very different path. He's probably going to be invading the kingdom loudly, just like Bowser used to, and we've set up so many barriers and armies to prevent that. Even if something does happen, I'm sure Rosie will be safe."

"Maybe ... but that doesn't make it untrue that an invasion _is_ going to happen. This is not going to sound good to anyone. I don't even know how I'm going to tell them this ... am I just going to say, 'Oh, yeah, so, Bowser's a problem again after all these years, no big deal'?" Mario asked.

"Well, first of all, there's no need to say that it's no big deal," Peach advised. "Perhaps we shouldn't even tell anyone at all. We don't want hundreds fleeing our kingdom in terror when nothing has really even happened yet. Yes, we now know that Bowser or Bowser Junior - or both - are nearby, but maybe it was just this one time last night that they managed to get this close. Yes, we should warn the armies, but we should keep it a secret, probably. There's no need to be spreading war terrors and it's not like the Kingdom's residents are completely relaxed - they _know_ Bowser's still out there, and so are his _eight children_."

"Mom ... " Rose said quietly, looking down onto her flowing gown. "I don't think it will be that simple."

"What do you mean?" Peach asked, her voice full of worry.

"Bowser's been gone for so long ... surely he's been plotting _something_ ," Rose said.

" _Ah!_ You're smart!" Mario exclaimed, picking up on what Rose was saying. "And you're right ... Bowser may have used the same plan for years, but that doesn't mean his son will continue with that. Surely, _surely_ they're smarter than they used to be."

Peach sighed and nearly fell onto a nearby couch, covering her face with her hands stressfully. "Why does this keep _happening_ to us?! Why _Rosie_?! Rosie isn't me, and never will be! Yes, she's probably going to grow up to accomplish even more than I ever have, but she and I are not the same person ..." The Queen's voice broke.

"Well, we need to make sure Rosie is safe now. Look, we're really sorry about this, honey, but it looks like you'll be staying in the castle now," Mario said slowly. "We can't take any risks."

Rose looked downward again. She wanted to protest, but she couldn't find any arguments. Her parents were right - it was dangerous, and her staying in the castle was pretty much required. In fact, if she had a daughter that was in a similar situation, she would have likely done the same.

"I understand," she said finally. "I will try my best to remain in this castle as much as possible."

"Good." Mario relaxed slightly. "Meanwhile, I'll see what extra precautions we can take."

"Thank you so much for telling us about this, Rosie," Peach said. "We can't imagine what this must be like for you, so we really appreciate your patience with this. Hopefully this will get sorted out without too much trouble."

 _Somehow I doubt it_ , Rose thought. Out loud, however, she simply said, "Thank you" and quickly walked out of the room.

* * *

Rose knew that she had made the right decision telling her parents about what had happened last night, and she didn't regret it, yet she kept needing to remind herself of this as she walked down the castle halls. She wanted desperately to go outside, but she knew better than that. Her next option would probably be her room, but she didn't want to go there either - there was still too much stress connected to that room from what she had seen last night, and besides, she didn't want to appear like an emotional wreck to anyone who would ask where she was and why couldn't they see her about. Instead, she decided to opt for an upper level. There was rarely anyone there, and she would feel safe knowing that no one would question her right now. She just wanted to be alone.

Rose boarded one of the castle's glass elevators and pressed the button for the highest floor. Sighing, she leaned against one of the walls and relaxed her body. She could see the castle's Toads going back and forth working, and thankfully, somehow they didn't seem to have noticed her. _Ignorance is bliss_ , she thought longingly as she looked onto them from above. As she passed floors, they seemed to be disappearing underneath her feet, and she found some comfort in this - as if her parents' worry, her room's discovery, and the Toads' comfortable ignorance of facts were all being left behind. She obviously knew this was far from true (every good Princess knows how to face the facts properly), but just thinking of it relaxed her.

Finally, the elevator arrived at the Castle's highest floor and the doors opened. Rose elegantly stepped out of the elevator, and tried to carry herself with confidence even though, just as she had expected, there was practically no one around. She could hear someone (probably a janitor) scrubbing and shuffling with something in the distance, but other than that, the floor was peacefully tranquil. She kept walking until she reached a small room with cream-colored couches, oriental rugs in pastel colors, and some magazines (this was some kind of a private lounge), but the most beautiful and appealing thing of all was that the room was illuminated by the large balcony that a glass door was leading out to.

She stopped for a moment. _Should I?_ She thought. Technically, she promised her parents that she wouldn't leave the castle, and she wasn't intending on breaking that promise anytime soon. However, the balcony was still technically on castle grounds, and the castle's property, and therefore it wasn't breaking the rules. Additionally, the balcony was located in a place where it didn't face the Kingdom, but rather the Castle Gardens, which were not exactly right out in the open, but in a more secluded area.

Finally, she made her decision. She walked over to the balcony and opened the door. She could immediately feel a gust of inviting early summer air welcoming her in. The balcony had beautiful oriental railing and was painted a single shade of a flawless off-white color. It was completely clean, too, which made her wonder how often it was cleaned - and how often it was used.

 _Oh, silly me. Thinking about clean balconies at a time like this_ , she thought to herself. She immediately regretted this, because it immediately brought her back to what she had seen last night. She wondered if it was fate that she would be awake at the exact time the 'Copter was flying by. What would have happened if she _hadn't_ been awake? Had she missed more informative things _while_ she was asleep?

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. "A true Princess keeps her composure in even the most stressful of situations and tones down her panic to form a solution." Those were the exact words that her mother had once spoken to her, many years ago. They hadn't meant much at the time, but the older Rose became, the more she began to understand their importance. She sighed again. Was her life only going to become more difficult? Most likely. She breathed deep, fresh air filling her lungs. She could smell the scent of familiar, comforting things: bakery treats cooking, summer flowers blossoming, and even some air fresheners from open windows.

 _I guess I better enjoy this moment while it lasts_ , she thought sadly. _Who knows, tomorrow I may be smelling lava._


	5. Underground

**Wow, I think this is the longest chapter in this story yet! Please feel free to leave a review if you want, and as always, I'll see you in the next one!**

Junior awoke that day with a goal. He knew, once his father had explained the plan to him, he did not expect any time to be wasted, and he was correct in doing so; Junior couldn't wait to finally do what he had been trained to do for so long.

Right after breakfast, he approached Bowser and said, "Dad, do you think I could start with your plan today? It feels like the right time."

Bowser simply responded with, "If you feel like it's the right time it probably is."

"Thank you," Junior replied. "If we're lucky, Princess Rose might be here tonight."

"That would be great," Bowser said, nodding.

Junior knew what he wanted - he wanted to be quick and effective. His mission was not to terrify the whole Kingdom - at least, not _yet_. His mission was not to draw any attention to himself, either. His mission was to kidnap Princess Rose. That was all that was required for now, and he wouldn't try to overachieve, he decided. He just had one thing that he needed to do, and he would make sure that it would be done. He took a deep breath and started thinking.

He knew that flying in the Kingdom on any kind of recognizable Bowser transportation would be equivalent of screaming for attention, the very thing that he wanted to avoid. Therefore, he would have to somehow get near the Princess without _any_ chance of being noticed, which would be very difficult, almost impossible. Un _less_ ... he thought for a moment. Was it possible to somehow reach her from underground? Yes, that was imaginable. The Mushroom Kingdom was home to all kinds of pipes and sewers, he didn't doubt that for a moment. And, of course, he wasn't the slightest bit afraid or disgusted by pipes or sewers - so there was no issue. He needed to find a way to get _into_ one, and he knew how he would find a way.

Earlier on in his training, Junior would often ask Bowser for advice. Initially, Bowser was happy to answer, but eventually he got tired of it, and, even though he wasn't too happy about this option either, he introduced his son to the Castle's library. The library was _enormous_ , but it had never been used as Bowser was never too interested in reading books. It was there simply because it was, and always had been since the Castle was built many years ago (it was kept clean and updated at all times, however, also as a simple requirement). And since he saw it for the first time, Junior had learned to visit it every time he didn't understand something, and he would eventually be able to find the answer. He had grown to be far more literate than his father had ever been, and though this was never one of Bowser's original goals (almost far from it), he still appreciated the fact that Junior was now able to find his own answers, and he also believed that being so literate would teach Junior "cunning and manipulative arts" of some sort.

This being said, Junior quickly found himself in the library going through dozens of books on pipe and sewer structure in all kinds of different lands, worlds, and kingdoms. Out of all of this research, he finally managed to learn that there was a pipe a few miles away from the very edge of the Dark Lands that led into some empty land. In that empty land, there was another pipe that lead into the Mushroom Kingdom's sewers. Yes, it was possible that pipe structure had changed since that book had been written, but it was a pretty new book, and plus, he couldn't really find out more unless he actually _tried_ that route.

Finally, Junior made his decision. He packed a small rucksack with a few sandwiches, a simple map, and a few tools that could be useful in kidnapping someone, which included a small amount of chloroform, a blindfold, tape, and rope, though he hoped the Princess wouldn't put up such a struggle that he would have to implement all of them - that would present quite the hassle. And yet, he had to be prepared since he had no idea what she was like and if she would even _care_ enough to put up a fight.

"Alright, Dad, I'm leaving," Junior said hastily as he passed Bowser on his way to the Castle's main gate. "I've got a plan, but I need to act fast."

"Good," Bowser said. "Do you think it will be successful?"

"I can't guarantee anything, but it seems quite promising," Junior stated. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"I guess so," Bowser agreed. "Well, see you later."

Junior uttered some kind of a goodbye and quickly left the Castle - he didn't want too much attention to be drawn to his trip, lest he fail to retrieve the Princess. His father would be disappointed in him enough; he didn't need all of the Castle's servants talking about it too.

And yet, as he walked down the road to the end of the Dark Lands, he felt an optimistic excitement. _Finally_ , after all these years, he was going on an actual mission. By _himself_ , and to benefit an instrumental plan, no less. He knew exactly where he was going, and what he was planning to do. He knew that once he entered the Mushroom Kingdom's sewer system, it would be relatively easy to find the sewer closest to the Castle. He had a few vague ideas on how he would be able to find the Princess, but he had no clear plan on that. He knew he would have plenty of time to think of something on the way, though.

* * *

As she had often been for the last few days, Rose was in distress. This time, it was for another reason. She knew it was for her own good that she wasn't allowed to, but she desperately wanted to go out into the Kingdom. Her mind struggled between just holding it in, begging her parents to let her go (which would not seem very mature), or the option that scared, yet somehow excited her the most: to sneak out.

She knew that if she did so, anything that happened to her would be her own fault. If she got kidnapped, it would be her own fault. If her parents found out and punished her in some way, it would be her fault. If she got lost, it would be her fault. If she saw something she wouldn't be able to tell her parents about because she saw it in a place she shouldn't have been in, it would be _all her fault_. No, sneaking out was a very bad idea.

Sighing, she arose from her bed, and, giving herself a quick look in the mirror, regrettably trudged to her parents' quarters once again. Yet, today they weren't there. Realizing they were probably in the Throne Room, Rose scolded herself inwardly for being so foolish not to check there first and walked there instead. As the oriental, decorated doors to the Throne Room opened, she could see her father's proper royal greeting of, "Hello, what brings you here today" blend into a cheerful, "Oh, hello, Rosie! Why are you here?" She smiled softly, hoping her parents would be in a good enough mood to oblige to her request.

"Hey, uh ... there's good news," she stated carefully and watched with enjoyment as her parents' faces lit up.

"What good news?" Peach asked, visibly excited.

"It's been quite a few days and there are no sightings of Bowser or any of his minions anywhere around here," she said. "Plus, I've thought about it and perhaps the Clown Copter was simply passing by, and no one important was inside at all. It could have just been a misguided castle pilot or something," she added quickly. Truthfully, she doubted this but she felt like it was reassuring enough without being a straight-up lie.

"Hmmm, that sounds pretty good, ... " Mario said thoughtfully. "Hopefully you're right."

Rose took a deep breath. "I was thinking, since everything seems peaceful, could I leave the castle for just about half an hour or so? I promise I'll try to stay out of sight, and I won't go too far. Please? Being inside all day is a huge struggle for me. I understand why it's safer that way, but it's too sudden and is almost depressing for me to be inside all day."

Peach looked like she was about to protest, but then she started to slowly nod, almost uncertainly. She turned to her husband. "Mario, I think we should let her go," she said, somewhat quietly. "I know it's kind of dangerous but Rosie knows what she's doing. I think we should trust her to leave for a while."

Mario sighed heavily. "I guess you're Mom's right," he said to Rose finally. "After all, staying inside all day is unhealthy, and we don't want anyone suspecting that you're hiding or under a quarantine of some sort. You can take a short walk, but don't go too far away from the Castle, and make sure a few of the Kingdom's residents see you about, so they know you're still here, okay?"

Rose's face lit up significantly. " _Yes_ , yes, of _course_!" she exclaimed. "Thank you _so_ much! I _promise_ I'll be careful!"

The parents shared a merry laugh.

"Run along, dear," Peach smiled. "Just be back home in time for lunch!"

* * *

 _Finally_ , Junior realized. There it was, the Mushroom Kingdom sewer system. He had imagined it in many ways, but he didn't expect how _large_ it would be. The sewer system was much larger than it seemed on the map; thankfully, there were arrows underground pointing to and fro. He noticed that most of the arrows tended to have something written on them, mostly explaining how to get to the Castle's main sewer system. Junior wasn't looking for the Castle itself, though; rather, he was more interested in the area _around_ the castle. He had a plan; it was risky, but it could be excellently efficient if successful.

As he walked and climbed along the sewers, he could hear the Mushroom Kingdom's residents talking above him, peaceful and completely unaware of the danger that was brewing. In some areas, the talking was louder, and he could hear the sounds of wheels and machines - these, he assumed, were the more busy parts of the Kingdom. The Kingdom ... it was hard to believe that he was technically _in_ the Mushroom Kingdom for the first time in his life. More than that, he found great delight in realizing how everyone had no idea he was only some feet underneath them, and could technically climb out of anywhere and destroy them all in a second. He, of course, wasn't planning on doing that, but just the idea of it being physically possible brought him joy. It was the same joy his father had told him about; the exhilarating joy of _power_. Junior had _power_ , almost singlehandedly, for practically the first time in his life. He had more power than his siblings, more power than the Toads above him, and, in time, he would perhaps have even more power than Bowser! This made him wonder if the Princess thought she would have access to her parents' power as well ... but now was not the time to think about all of this. He had a plan to act upon.

Collecting his determination, Junior waited near one of the sewer exit pipes for a few moments. Everything seemed quiet out, except for just one voice. It was the voice of a young girl, humming some kind of a song. Everything else was totally quiet. He realized it was probably lunch hour, and plus, this was a rather isolated neighborhood, according to his map. From what he could see, the houses were pretty far apart. _Alright, stop meddling_ , he quickly reminded himself. There was no going back now. He reached through the sewer pipe, and in a second, he was out of it.

He spent a few seconds gathering his surroundings. The atmosphere was delightfully wholesome. Birds were chirping, the quaint houses were illuminated and sparkling in the sun, the air was warm and smelled of fresh bakery treats, the towering trees were a vibrant green color, and there were all kinds of flowers and plants growing everywhere. Had he not been so anxious, he might have even _admired_ the area, but it was too unlike the place he grew up in for it to be comfortable, no matter how pleasant it may have seemed. With that thought, he turned around (he had only spent a few seconds looking around, I remind you) and saw exactly what he had expected and wanted to see - empty, isolated streets with just one young-looking female Toad standing in her front-yard garden, watering her flowers. Or, at least, she _had_ been watering her flowers. Now, the watering can was on the grass, neglected as the last few drops of water spilled out of it.

Never before had Junior seen such an expression on someone's face. The look on the girl's face was horror, resignation, and disbelief all combined in one. Her eyes were large with shock, and her lip was quivering as if she were about to break out in a nervous fit of tears. He kept waiting for her to scream in agony, or start crying, but she didn't. She was in such a state of shock that she was unable to do anything but just stand there, shaking in fear. Junior had never seen fear like this. Yes, he had had some of Bowser's servants fear him, but not like _this_. It was at that moment that he realized that the girl thought she was about to die.

Finally, she managed to stammer, in a breaking voice, " ... A-are you ... B-"

"Quiet," he said quietly, but still menacingly. "I just have one question. I won't hurt you or anyone if you answer, and I will leave at once. If you don't ... " his mouth curled into some kind of an evil smile. " ... I'm sure you're smart enough to understand." He towered over her significantly, which only added to his threatening effect.

The girl nodded feverishly, her head almost bobbing up and down. "W-what's the question, uhh ... I'll tell you, just g-go away," she muttered.

"Fine," he replied, pleased with her cooperation. "Where is Princess Rose?"

Suddenly, the girl's eyes popped wide open. She was thinking so hard, he could almost hear her thoughts. Surely she would feel like a traitor giving away the Princess's location, but she wanted to keep her neighborhood (and herself), safe, too. Finally, it seemed like her somewhat more selfish side won over. She didn't want to die. _Smart girl_ , he thought.

"I d-didn't tell you this, b-but I saw her earlier ... she's on Undertoad street, about six blocks away. She's taking a walk. I-it's a rather ... quiet place. N-no shops or anything, uhhhh ... " she paused.

"Thank you," Junior interrupted, somewhat sharply. "Remember, don't tell anyone you saw me today, or else. It is a pleasure to make business with you," he added with a hint of sarcasm and backed down into the pipe he came from.

He was sure the girl wouldn't tell anyone what had happened. This was certain. If she had managed to give away her own seemingly beloved Princess's location (he had heard that the new Princess was quite popular with her folk) to stay alive, then she surely wouldn't rat him out at this point, so he wasn't worried. Now, he was only minutes away from his goal, his entire massive body nearly trembling in his excitement. He quickly opened his map and practically raced through the sewers to the right pipe. This time, he didn't hesitate, and, in an almost reckless move, he jumped out of the pipe on Wellbell street. Wellbell street was right next to Undertoad street. Somehow, the Princess was _still_ on that street; he could even hear her gowns swishing and her shoes clicking as she walked. There was no way that was a Toad; and who else would be walking the streets right now? Not Queen Peach - she was on royal duty. This was Princess Rose, he was sure of it.

He crouched right around the corner, waiting for the perfect moment. He had the intuition that she would turn onto Wellbell street next, and his intuitions were rarely wrong. He had to remember to keep breathing deeply. When he was this near to success as a future King Koopa, he couldn't let this slip.

* * *

Rose walked along Undertoad street, breathing in the fresh early-summer air she had felt on the balcony some days ago. It was so ... _peaceful_ , so relaxing, in fact, that she had finally lost some of her stress. Little did she know, she would regain it in copious amounts in just a few moments, but for now, she was relaxed. She wondered if perhaps the whole Clown Copter incident _had_ , in fact, fizzled out. Maybe she had just dreamt it? Maybe this whole situation was just a dream, and she would wake up in just a few moments to one of her smiling ladies-in-waiting, Joanna, in a moment. Or maybe ... her mind drifted off. She stopped at the intersection. She thought a simple thought - should she go to the right, onto Wellbell street, or to the left, onto Intodd street? It was Wellbell, she decided. And with that, she turned to the right.

It goes without saying that she instantly regretted that decision. If the situation wasn't so harsh, it might have almost been somewhat amusing. The poor Rose was so out of it that when she saw Junior she actually believed that she was going crazy with all this Dark Land stress and was starting to actually see things. _It's probably just a tree, you psycho_ , she told her racing heart as she closed her eyes and then opened them again. Junior was still there.

For the first time in his plan, Junior had absolutely no idea what to do. He had imagined this moment many times before, and in his head, the Princess would scream and run, and he would chase her down and restrain her. Then he would quickly slip down a drain pipe and get to the Dark Lands as soon as possible. But so many things were going differently from this planned situation. First of all, for some reason he had expected Rose to look like the old pictures of Princess Peach his father had shown him, and from his own vague memories, but although there was a very tasteful resemblance, she clearly inherited a lot from Mario, which included her hair. Her gown reminded him of Peach's, but it was a light blue color instead of pink, and had a totally different feel as well. Secondly, why didn't she have an escort with her? Was she actually allowed to go out like this, or did she sneak out? And why wasn't she running yet? Was she in shock, too, like the Toad girl?

Rose's next action was to sigh nervously and lean against a nearby brick wall. "I'm seeing things," she muttered to herself very quietly, but Junior was still able to hear it. Figuring that was the only thing he needed to do, he approached her.

"You're not seeing things," his voice broke the silence. "Or hearing things," he quickly added.

It was at this moment that Rose produced a very audible gasp and immediately started nervously shaking, practically giving way to all of her mind's suspicions. She looked as if she was going to faint, but didn't, clearly trying to demonstrate her royal status. She stood up as tall and straight as she could manage, and did something Junior didn't expect her to do - she looked him straight in the eyes. There was obvious fear in her gaze, yet a hint of determination was present as well.

"What do you want?" She wasn't stuttering, which was another unexpected thing. She was clearly a Princess, and was fit to be one, too.

Junior didn't know how to answer that, so instead, he did the one thing he had been itching to do. He quickly grabbed his chloroform out of his backpack, and, quick as lightning, pressed it to her nose. This, combined with her stress, was too much for her body to take in a conscious way, and she collapsed. He managed to catch her, and then proceeded to wonder if he should tie her up or leave her this way. He decided not to restrain her, since he could always put her back into sleep if she woke up, and there weren't too many places to run in the sewers.

Quickly remembering his rush and risky visibility, Junior scooped up the Princess and efficiently went down the pipe again. Making sure that Rose was still safe, he started making a hurrying way through all the tunnels, determined to get to the Castle as soon as possible for two reasons; his excitement and his worry that she would wake up again.

The world above him was _still_ sunny, _still_ green, _still_ peaceful and wonderful. Except for the one Toad girl Junior had spoken with, everyone was still oblivious and calm.

It was as if Junior had never even been there ... only one thing was missing from the Kingdom. And only he knew what it was ... for now.


	6. Where's Rosie?

**Chapter 6 is here!**

"I warned you, I warned you, I warned you …" Mario was saying as he paced back and forth in the Throne Room.

"I honestly thought we could trust it!" Peach responded. "It's not Rosie's fault."

"It's been _hours_ and she's still gone! If she's not in danger, she's going to be in serious trouble when she comes back," Mario said.

"No, she would come back in time, she's practically never late, at least not like _this_..." Peach descended into her throne, resisting the urge to sob. "But are we _sure_?" She questioned.

"Something definitely happened to her," Mario sighed, heading back to his own throne. "She knows we would be worried if she was only a few minutes late. But don't worry so much; I have called out messengers all over the Kingdom to question everyone they see. They should come back with _something_ … anything."

"If someone _did_ see something, I'm sure they're either dead, kidnapped, or have sworn not to tell anyone. I doubt anyone will have any information …"

Peach was cut off by the Throne Room doors opening slowly. Quickly regaining her outward composure, she adjusted her posture and intently fixed her gaze on the young female Toad walking in. She was closely followed by both of the guards at the door, until one said, "Your Majesties, this young woman claims to be an eyewitness of something she says is important to locating Her Highness Princess Rose. Do you wish to see her in?"

"Yes," Mario responded immediately. "Leave us, please. We wish to speak with her alone."

The guards quickly nodded and retreated beyond the entrance doors.

"We need all the information we can receive," Peach said hurriedly. "Please, Miss, if you saw something we implore you to tell us. There's no time to waste!"

The young Toad sniffed and then sighed. "I've betrayed the Kingdom," she said quietly. "But I need to be honest about it for the Princess's sake."

"What has happened?" Mario asked eagerly. "We promise that no punishment will come to you, as long as you tell us what you are the eyewitness _of_."

"My name is Toadia," the girl said. "Earlier today, I saw"—she sniffed again—"I saw Bowser Junior. It was terrible, I can't believe it …"

"Please continue," Peach urged. She was on the edge, and hoped dearly that she wouldn't faint. So Bowser Junior had been _inside_ the Kingdom? This was even worse than she had expected. Before, she had at least a faint dream that perhaps Rose had just gotten lost, but she knew that if Junior and Rose had crossed paths, Rose would be far out of reach by now.

"I was just watering my gardens in peace, all alone in the streets, when he jumped out of the nearest sewer pipe and he"—Toadia was on the verge of crying; she was clearly very upset—"he told me that if I didn't tell him where the Princess was, he would destroy everything and everyone around me … and I couldn't help it, I _had_ to tell him …" She could hold on no longer, and broke into violent tears. "I tried not to, but I had no _hope_!" She practically screamed through her sobs. "I'm _nothing_ in size and power compared to someone like him!"

"Breathe deeply, Miss Toadia," Mario interjected. "We understand, you didn't have a choice; it's not your fault. It's no one's fault but Bowser Junior's. Did he have anyone with him?"

"If someone was with him they never exited the pipe," Toadia responded, calming down ever so slightly. "He just left through the same pipe and didn't do any harm, and I'm assuming he left for the Princess … I'm so sorry …"

"Don't worry too much about it," Peach said. "You saved the lives of you and all your friends, and I don't think Princess Rose is not alive, in any case. Is that all you know?"

"Yes," Toadia responded simply. "That is all I know. There was no one else around me, and I didn't tell anyone—until now. Thank you for being so kind to me."

"You're very welcome," Mario said quietly. "You have been very useful to our investigation; and for that, we are very thankful. We ask only one thing; please try not to share this information too much. It will be better that way, for you and everyone."

"Yes, Your Majesties," Toadia said. "I wish you the best of luck in finding the Princess."

"Thank you, …" Peach nearly squeaked with her remaining voice as Toadia turned and left the Throne Room.

As soon as Toadia left, Mario passionately started pacing again.

"How _dare_ they?!" He exclaimed in anger. "What did _Rosie_ ever _do_ to them?! And _where_ is she now?! What have they _done_ to her? Is she even _alive_?!"

Assuming that she knew who "they" were, Peach quietly left her throne and approached her husband.

"I'm sure she's _alive_ ," Peach said, in a similar quiet fashion. "I'm sure of it," she repeated. "Bowser always kidnapped me for some kind of profit; if he wanted to kill me he _would_ have, but he never did. I am also sure that she is probably somewhere in the Dark Lands by now, namely in Bowser's Castle, most likely. Bowser may have made _some_ changes to his plans, but he wouldn't go so far as to completely change everything. In any case, that's a good lead to start on; at least now we know that Rosie _has_ , indeed, been right. Oh, I _shouldn't_ have let her go, it's all my fault …"

"No, it's not," Mario replied gently. "Like I said, it's no one's fault that she got kidnapped other than Junior's. We'll get her out of wherever she is, I promise."

Peach sighed. "I know, just … when I was in Bowser's Castle I was always treated like an absolute princess of all sorts. I hope she will be treated the same … at least, while she's still there. In the meantime, let's catch a train to Sarasaland. We need all the help we can get."

* * *

Junior entered Bowser's Castle with the most pride for himself he had had in months and months. He rapped on the door of his father's Royal Quarters in absolute delight.

"Who is it?" Bowser's voice was relaxed, and Junior assumed he was probably reading the newspaper or some magazine.

"It's me," Junior responded. "I have some excellent news."

"Alright, come in," Bowser said. "I wanna hear it in person."

Junior eagerly opened the door, still holding Princess Rose, and said, "I think you'd prefer to _see_ it."

" _See_ your news? Junior, you're talking nonsense—" Bowser's voice broke off when he saw Rose. " … Wait, is that who I _think_ it is?" He asked incredulously.

"Most definitely," Junior said happily. "Her Highness Princess Rose Maria Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom, to be exact. Don't you see the crown?" He laughed.

Bowser rubbed his hands together, just as excitedly. "Oh, this is _excellent_ work! I didn't expect you to succeed on the first try, but it looks like all that training from yours truly hasn't failed." He got up from his armchair (he had been reading a newspaper by his fireplace just like Junior had expected). "I'll show you the rooms I have prepared for her while she calms down, if you remember our plan. Follow me." Junior nodded, flattered by his father's praise.

"So how'd you catch her?" Bowser asked with interest on their way to the Princess's rooms. Fortunately, the hallways were mostly empty so they could proceed with no complications.

"I just went through the Kingdom's sewer systems, found the street she was at, and put her to sleep with my chloroform. It wasn't too hard," Junior said proudly. He decided to leave out the part where he questioned the Toad girl, because he wasn't sure if that was the best strategy, and it wasn't relevant to the plans anyway.

"Good work," Bowser said. "I'm assuming no one saw you?"

"I didn't come in publically, like I said I wouldn't," Junior responded carefully.

"Good, good," Bowser laughed. "Those poor idiots, I wonder if they're caught on yet. But don't worry, I've upgraded all of my stuff, as I told you before. The Princess is safe here, for sure. Ah, here we are."

They arrived at a solid wooden door with two strong-looking locks fastening it shut. They didn't stop Bowser, however, as he quickly pulled out a large golden key and handed it to his son.

"This fits in both locks," Bowser instructed. "You're going to be coming here a lot, even whenever you please, if you want—so I think you should have the spare key. Go ahead, open it."

It was a bit of a struggle to open two locks while holding a healthy young girl in his arms, but Junior still managed to open the door. Inside, he was struck by surprise.

"Dad, are these …" He stopped talking as he looked around. He hadn't seen this room in quite a while. It was amazing, even, to look at it now. Everything still looked so familiar …

"These are Peach's old quarters, yes," Bowser said in as somewhat hushed voice, though Junior barely noticed through his awe. "A few things have changed in the security, but everything else is the same, pretty much."

Still somewhat amazed, Junior quickly placed Rose, who was still unconcious, on the familiar sparkling pink canopy bed that Peach had grown to practically get used to, according to what he remembered. The Castle's servants would show Peach around her rooms, and she would always say, "I know, I know, I've been here before, Sam Goomb."

On the nightstand by the bed, there was a note in handwriting that looked as if Bowser was trying to be as neat as possible, and for once, it was actually readable. It said:

 _Greetings, Princess Rose Maria Toadstool,_

 _Do not be alarmed; you are nowhere unsafe. You are currently located in King Bowser Koopa's Dark Land Castle, in your personal quarters. In case it concerns you, these are the same quarters that once belonged to your mother, and they are almost the same as they used to be, save for some minor improvements. Do not attempt escape; there is a high security system. We will not invade your privacy, but trying to escape through the windows or door is pointless. You may try, of course, but we assure you that nothing of use to you will happen. There are copious amounts of fresh clothes, a washroom, and more in this room to provide you total comfort. If the clothes are not fiting or you need more, simply inform the servant that comes to serve you your fresh meals (three times a day), and we will provide you with anything you would like. It is our own concern to make this room as comfortable for you as possible. There is a clock on your nightstand; breakfast will be served at 8:00 AM, lunch will be served at 12:30 PM, and dinner will be served at 6:30 PM. All of these times can be adjusted, and additional foods can be served at your once again assure you that your meals will not be tampered with in any way, and will be created by our best are royalty, and will be treated as such._

 _Signed, King Bowser Koopa and his son, Prince Bowser Jr. Koopa_

"I left her a note so she wouldn't freak out," Bowser explained. "There aren't any cameras or microphones or alarms in these quarters or anything, but I can guarantee you she won't be able to escape. As for someone rescuing her … you'll see later what will happen about that."

Junior nodded. The father and son slowly turned and left the room. All that was left now was to wait until Princess Rose woke up, freshened up, and ate. And then, Junior would visit her.

His curiousity would be impossible to contain.

* * *

Daisy's eyes were filled with tears.

"I hate this, I hate this, I hate this so much," she repeated.

"We all do," Peach said. Mario, Peach, Luigi, and Daisy were all gathered in the Sarasaland Royal Rooms together, and no one had emotions that could be acutely descibed. Most were shock, and some anger and resentment for Bowser that they hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"You know, she _asked_ me for advice on this and I basically told her to calm down," Daisy continued with her lament. "Calm _down_?! I should have told her to be the royalty she is and take _action_! Go into hiding! Send spies, perhaps!"

"It's not your fault, you know that," Mario sighed at the amount of times he had had to say that today. He understood everyone trying to blame themselves, however. Deep down, even he felt some responsibility for his daughter's disappearance. Daisy had made good points; perhaps Rose _should_ have gone into hiding. This was just, all in all, a total mess.

Luigi, as usual, was losing his mind with fear. "Oh, this is _terrible_ ," he exclaimed, "And we _thought_ this was all _over_! This is _terrifying_! What are we going to do _now_? Oh, _what_ are we going to do now?!"

Normally Daisy would have joked that _everything_ was "terrifying" to Luigi, but now even she felt that fear was justified. Like she had managed to point out earlier, Bowser's forces _had_ to be stronger now. This time, it would be a _real_ fight, even with Rose on their side.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do," Mario said, suddenly confidently taking charge. "We're going to band together, and we're going to get Rosie back, no matter _what_ it takes."

"But Bowser's probably _unstoppable_ now, with Junior joining him too!" Luigi protested.

"Bowser's _always_ said that he's great and mighty, but we're not any less unstoppable than we _used_ to be! Remember the good old days?" Peach said, joining Mario in his cause. "We're not going down without a fight! So, are you in or are you out?!" Peach held out a hand.

"I'm in," Mario responded immediately, placing his hand on Peach's. "You guys … ?"

"I'm in too," Daisy said. "Good ol' Queen Daisy Sarasa isn't going to just sit by and let her niece suffer at the hands of evil!" And with that, her hand also joined the circle.

" … Okay, I'm in as well," Luigi said. "I guess it doesn't make sense to not even try." He smiled and put his hand on Daisy's.

"Then let's _do_ this!" Everyone cheered, high-fiving and exchanging glances of their newly recollected bravery. "Bowser's back and better? Well, so are we."


	7. Rose's Room

Rose woke up in a not-so comfortable state, and that goes without saying. The first thing she noticed was that she was not under the covers, but rather still in all of her royal garb, including her crown, jewelry, and hair accessories. The next thing she noticed, which was a much ruder shock, was that she was not in her own bedroom, but rather in some other kind of bedroom. The bedroom was pink, like her own, but it seemed more fit for a Queen than a Princess. It was grand, clean, and very well decorated. It consisted of a large, king-size bed with drapes and canopies, rosy oriental rugs, an enormous vanity with a mirror that was made out of some kind of light-colored wood, floral wallpaper, and other similar feminine decorations. Whoever put together this room had clearly designed it with quite a fancy for the resident, she decided.

The windows were letting in sunlight, but they were high up on the walls, way out of reach, and were sealed as if with jail bars. This sent a flurry of anxiety into the young Princess; was she being held captive? This is where her initial drowsiness wore off and she practically started panicking. Where _was_ she? _Where_ were her attendants, ladies-in-waiting, and her parents?! This was when she sat up on the bed and noticed the nightstand next to her. The nightstand had drawers, but the top of it held a small alarm clock (which read 7:24 AM), a few towels, and the most intriguing thing—a note. As soon as she spotted the names _Bowser Koopa_ and _Bowser Jr._ in its signature, she began to feel lightheaded. Taking a deep breath, however, she forced herself to read the note.

When she was finished reading, she felt the need to take another multitude of deep breaths. It had dawned upon her that she was being held prisoner in Bowser's Castle, and that was not an easy piece of news to take. Yesterday's encounter with the youngest Koopa Prince came back into her mind, and she shuddered with disgust at the simple _thought_ that he had probably drugged and dragged her all the way to this very room. She thought about escaping, but decided to actually follow the note's advice and not bother. Slowly, she got up and walked up to the vanity.

Inside, there was an abundance of expensive makeup, hairbrushes, hair accessories, and even jewelry. _Wow …_ she thought as she picked up a shimmering sapphire pendant. _There's no way this is fake. Who would go through all this trouble to buy something that Mom would probably never agree to wear? Bowser, apparently._ She moved away from the vanity and opened the door to her large walk-in closet. Inside, there were shoes, veils, nightclothes, dresses, and more in, like the note had said, copious amounts. There seemed to be something for any taste; some bright, short dresses in vibrant colors, some "prim and proper" old-fashioned dresses, some of an airy and comfortable fashion (much like the one she was wearing), and some of a darker, more sinister kind (with colors like deep, silky maroon and black lace decorating them)—that's just to name a few. Knowing that she should probably style herself into a more presentable fashion, Rose sighed and got to work.

She made her way to the adjoining bathroom first, to take a shower. Inside, like she had expected, it was completely clean and spotless. The tiles were a pattern of pearly white and a light, sunny yellow. After she showered, she dried her hair and brushed it out with one of the hairbrushes that she had been supplied with. She put all of her hair back in a tight ponytail, which she added a red ribbon to for good measure, and headed back to her vanity.

Then, she applied her usual small amount of makeup and put on the necklace she had been wearing before, which consisted of a thin, delicate rose-golden chain that ended in a small, heart-shaped locket. The locket had a picture of her and her parents inside of it, and she carried it around almost everywhere. She didn't expect to ever need its reassurance as much as she needed it now; and now, she most definitely wasn't letting go of it.

After all of that, she walked into her closet and eventually decided on a long, flowy gown. It was comfortable and airy-looking, and it was decorated with the colors lime green and forest green, with some tasteful ruby decorations. Sighing, she sat back down on her bed and put her Toadstool princess crown back on. This was also her mother's old princess crown, which she wore until she became a Queen and started wearing a slightly different one. Like her locket, Rose treasured this crown even more dearly now. She suddenly felt a pang of hunger; and, as if on cue, she heard a small knock on her door.

"Princess Toadstool, are you awake?" a similarly small voice asked. "Would you like some breakfast?"

Rose didn't quite know who was speaking to her, but she did know that it clearly wasn't Junior or Bowser, and also that she was quite hungry.

"Yes," she responded. "Thank you very much."

She felt a key turning in her door and a meek-looking green-shelled Koopa Troopa entered her door, holding a tray with warm waffles, whipped cream, a large amount of fresh strawberries, and a small bottle of what looked like juice, along with a cup. The Koopa Troopa set down the tray on Rose's nighstand and turned to her with a quaint bow.

"Prince Bowser Junior has requested upon seeing you after you finish your breakfast," he said. "I will come to pick up your tray beforehand. Bon appetit," he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Rose called out. "What's your name?" Rose had always made it a point to learn all of her attendants' names, to feel more familiar with them. Since she knew she would probably be staying here for at least _some_ , if not a large amount of time, she didn't see why she shouldn't do the same here.

"My _name_?" the Troopa looked surprised, almost astonished, even, that someone was interested in his _name_. "My name is Temmer, Princess."

"Thank you, Temmer," Rose replied. "You may leave now."

Once again, Temmer bowed, still somewhat shocked, and left the room. And once again, Rose could hear his key turning in the lock of her room and his footsteps walking away. She sighed and begun eating.

 _Prince Bowser Junior has requested upon seeing you …_ it was such a pleasant way of saying that Junior was pretty much going to come storming in her room, whether she liked it or not, and probably start taunting or interrogating her in some way. Rose knew she didn't technically have anything to be afraid of; she knew that Bowser and Junior wouldn't have gone through all this trouble to get her to the Castle and have her stay in this room if they had wanted to kill her, so she knew that in the end of it all, she wouldn't have to fear for her life, which was the most important thing to her right now. She picked at her strawberries; she was hungry for them, but she didn't want to finish eating. And, once again as if on cue, she heard the same soft rap on her door.

"Princess Toadstool," she heard Temmer's voice, "if you don't mind me asking, are you finished with your breakfast meal yet?"

Quickly consuming her remaining strawberries, Rose answered, hoping that her voice wasn't as deeply regrettable as she felt. "Yes, I'm finished. You may pick up my tray now, Temmer."

Her door unlocked, Temmer picked up her tray, bowed, and left, locking her door again. It all went by as if in a blur. The next half an hour or so was also similarly seized by her nerves. _Where are Mom and Dad? Where are Aunt Dais and Uncle Luigi? Do they know I'm gone yet? What are the subjects of the Mushroom Kingdom aware of?Why am I here? What is going to happen to me?_ Never before in her life had Rose felt so … _helpless_. As a Princess loved by her parents and subjects, she always had had some kind of … _power_ in life. And now, she was still a Princess … but what of what use was that now? _Princess Toadstool_ , Temmer had called her. That was the same name her mother had been addressed by so many years ago, and now it was _hers_. Well, it had _always_ been hers, but now … now _she_ was the damsel in distress. And she knew quite well that she was not any less helpless than her mother had been. Or, at least, that was what she thought.

Then came the knock on her door. The knock was perfectly normal, almost not different in any way from the way her parents would knock on her door … but she already _knew_ who it was.

"May I come in?" An unfortunately familiar voice sounded.

"You're just going to come in anyway, so why bother asking?" Rose countered.

She could hear Junior's exasperated sigh as he unlocked her door. It was in this specific unlocking that Rose noticed that the door had _two_ locks. How had she not noticed that before?

"Does this door have _two_ locks?" Was the first thing she asked Junior when he walked in. Junior had not been expecting this tone, and that question; this led him to just stare stupidly for a few moments before replying.

"Yes," he said. "Weren't you _told_ that this room had security improvements since your mother lived here?"

"Oh, so you _finally_ decided to get improvements," Rose retorted. "After my mother managed to make it out of here what, _ten thousand times_? Looks like you finally learned; I'm honestly shocked."

Junior regarded Rose with surprise. Was she _trying_ to get on his nerves? He could _literally_ set her on fire this very second—it was then that he realized, with a sinking feeling, that she knew _exactly_ what she was doing—she _knew_ her life wasn't being threatened. He knew that Mario and Peach's daughter would be more trained to these situations than Peach ever was, but still … the young Princess was unexpectedly _smart_.

"Better late than never," Junior returned simply, leaning on one of the room's walls. "I'm sure you're probably waiting for someone to come save you, but I can assure you that you have no hope. A lot more than just security _has_ been upgraded."

Rose raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Do you think I'm so _stupid_ as to attempt escape out of your Daddy's castle? And do you think my parents are so _stupid_ as to just run to save me without thinking? You're delusional, really," she said.

"Whatever," Junior dismissed. "I came to tell you why you're here—do you want to know or are you just going to keep testing my patience?"

Rose gave a very unladylike snort to this, and shook her head indignantly. "Like I don't already _know_ why I'm here."

"Fine, then why are you here?" Junior challenged.

"I'm here because your father probably wants to take a second swing on trying to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, and since my _mother_ never married _him_ , he's probably going to try and force _me_ to marry _you_. Seems pretty simple to me," she said, turning away from him ever so slightly.

Junior feigned shock; no, this wasn't the plan, but this was exactly what he and Bowser had wanted her to believe. "Spot on," he said. "Well, since you're already up to date on the events, why don't we get right down to business then?"

Rose gave no response.

"Marry me, and your family will be safe. Your father, your mother, your aunt and uncle; no harm will come to them. Yes, the Mushroom Kingdom will be ours, but no one will be hurt in the process; no property damaged; there will be no war. We can rule your birthplace together, and it'll all be fine and dandy," Junior continued. "and if you say no, well, our two kingdoms will probably rage in war for years and years, killing thousands, if not millions, hurting everyone, and affecting everyone's lives day to day. And guess what? You'll still be here. Here, or in a dungeon if you're unlucky; until one day you agree to marry me. But by then, who knows what could happen? Your whole family could be _gone_."

"Don't pretend like you care about my family," Rose said. "you could care less about what happens to my Kingdom, and you could care even _less_ about me. I'll never believe that you actually want to marry me. _Why_ would you ever want to?"

"My father wanted to marry your mother for years and years on end," Junior said.

"Your father _loved_ my mother, and even if he didn't, he would still have a pretty fetching wife and a kingdom. If you marry me, the Mushroom Kingdom would still rightfully belong to your father, until he passed away. Basically, you're marrying for money and property here; but the money's not going to you—it's going to your _father_ ," Rose replied.

"Everything that belongs to my father now will one day be mine," was his simple response. "you can call me Junior all you want now, but one day _my_ name will be King Bowser Koopa."

"But what about your siblings?" Rose questioned with a hint of sarcasm. "Roy, Ludwig, Lemmy, Iggy, Morton, Larry, Princess Wendy? Oh, how _conveniently_ they're out of your father's pretty little picture now. And how is this fair to _them_? You're the _youngest_ —how are _you_ inheriting the throne? That makes no logical sense."

"My brothers and sister are living by themselves in the Dark Lands happily," Junior said. "No one ever wanted the throne like I did, anyway. Plus, it's not like they won't inherit _anything_."

"How confidently _you_ speak for _them_ ," Rose replied. "lie to me all you want, but don't blatantly lie to _yourself_! You _know_ you're on top, and that's great for you—yet all _you're_ doing is following your father's orders."

" 'Training's' a more accurate word, Princess," he growled. "now if you'll _excuse_ me, I've got actual _business_ to attend to. I'll see you sooner rather than later."

"Your _father_ 's business," was the last thing Junior heard before he closed and firmly locked the door.


	8. Expecting You

Peach bit her lip as she went through her royal work papers. The fact that her duties still went on, even with Rose gone, was almost infuriating to her—and she had _always_ kept calm in stressful situations. But for some reason, when it was her daughter, and not herself in danger, it felt more worrying to her. When Peach was kidnapped, she _knew_ she would stay in a comfortable room, safe and sound, until Mario came to save her. And she _always_ knew that she would be saved before Bowser could marry her. Now, not only did she not have such a guarantee, she also had no idea how Rose was doing. Was she in lovely quarters like Peach had been, or was she starving in a dungeon somewhere? Was it possible that she had been married off _already_?

No, Bowser had always been pretty bad with planning time, and she doubted that had changed. As for Junior, he was still going to remain below his father in status until Bowser passed away … _was_ Bowser still alive? All of these questioned plagued Peach's mind relentlessly, upsetting her greatly with the fact that she was _clueless._ She had almost no information to reassure her, except the fact that Rose was being held captive somewhere. That was it, and it was _far_ from reassuring.

To add to her issues, she hadn't seen Mario since they met up with Daisy and Luigi to agree to join forces and get Rose back. He had said that he was going to discuss matters with Luigi and prepare for the whole operation back "home," which Peach assumed was the brothers' long-abandoned house which they had both moved out of when they got married. As for Daisy, Peach had strong reasons to believe that she was probably in the same position as she was right now. She wished that she could be closer to her friend—that way, she would feel at least _somewhat_ safer—but no one knew royal duties better than Queen Peach Toadstool, and Sarasaland needed at _least_ its Queen present—that was unarguable.

She knew that once Mario and Luigi had discussed their plans, the whole "save Rose" operation would most likely get started right away; after all, there was no time to lose. That Rose was alive, Peach was certain. That Rose was not having the best of times, Peach was positive. But then, there was the questions of the Mushroom Kingdom, and Sarasaland. What would they have to tell them? Peach refused to lie to her Kingdom, but she didn't want an absolute stampede or panic. If all four of them left, which was likely to be the case, the kingdoms would become pretty vulnerable to any attacks—and they were likely.

Of course, the wisest choice would be for just Mario and Luigi to go, but Peach _really_ wanted to see the spectacle that was going to unfold, whatever it was; and, of course, have some personal role in rescuing her daughter, and leaving Daisy all alone would be a pretty bad decision. There was also the option of Mario and Peach going by themselves—maybe that was doable? They _were_ Rose's parents, after all…but Daisy and Luigi would be incredibly useful to the whole operation, and they would need all the help they could get…

Peach's thoughts were, thankfully, interrupted by the royal quarters' main door unlocking and opening. She turned around and found, with a mixture of joy and anxiety, Mario, Luigi, and Daisy all entering. She knew that Mario had probably decided that all four of them should go; otherwise he wouldn't have arranged for all four to talk together like this.

"I'm _not_ lying to my Kingdom, don't even think about it," Daisy muttered before turning to Peach with sudden happiness in her face and tone.

"Hi!" She called out. "It's so great to see you again!"

"Worrying about Sarasaland, are you?" Peach asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm worried too … if we all leave, that leaves the Kingdoms so vulnerable, yet we are all important to this … what should we do?"

"It's solved, somewhat at least," Mario stated knowingly. "This operation already kind of began. Luigi and I both gave a multitude of staple commands to the Kingdoms' battle forces for what to do in case of an attack—and we presented all sorts of different options of attacks, as well as how to respond to possible declarations of war, threats, and all of those kinds of things. As for what to tell the public, we're not quite sure yet. It's possible to just tell them we're just going for a small investigative trip, but Daisy is refusing to deceive her subjects."

"For a pretty good reason!" Daisy exclaimed. "They're not that stupid. No need to pretend like nothing's going to seem suspicious, plus they're seen such things many times before, even if long ago. They shouldn't be oblivious and unprotected."

"Wait, Mario, did you say _declaration of war_?!" Peach cried out suddenly. "I knew it was serious, but I didn't think it would come to _this_ … what would bring them to declare … _war_?"

"Well, if Rose refuses to marry Junior, which I'm sure she has the good sense to do, there will be consequences," Mario said flatly. "That just can't be denied."

"But …" Peach stood up slowly. "But Rose's training … and her talents …"

"All unfortunately powerless against the forces of the Dark Lands after all these years," Mario sighed. "Yes, she's very talented and well-trained, but she's never been in such a situation before, she's probably much more closely guarded, and plus, it's not like we're just going to leave her to figure this out on her own. I could never bear it."

"None of us could," Daisy said, placing a hand on Peach's shoulder. "Which is exactly why we're doing this."

Peach sighed heavily. "Well, what must be done must be done," she said. "let's get to work on planning. Have a seat, everyone, I'll get the tea and cake."

* * *

Rose wanted to scream, so was the extent of her frustration. She had just finished the next day's breakfast, but she still couldn't get over what Junior had said. Not only did he _genuinely_ believe his father's plan was getting him somewhere, but he also thought that he could trick her into very primitive things!

The knocks on the door from Kemmer became almost regular now, even though they have only happened a few times. The rate with which she was becoming accustomed to her surroundings was silently terrifying her. And as if on cue, Kemmer's soft, somewhat uneasy knock came again.

"Princess Toadstool," he said once she welcomed him in, "King Bowser Koopa requests your presence. Please get yourself ready and I will have someone escort you. How much time do you need to prepare?"

"Only about fifteen minutes or so," Rose said. She was completely ready to go, except that she was dressed in a lounge gown. "I shouldn't take much longer than that. You may leave."

Kemmer nodded and quickly left, as usual. Rose checked her reflection in her mirror—except for the stress visible in her eyes, everything else looked fine. She had quite the "royal" appearance, which she suspected was more than a little necessary. She would have to be mature about this—she knew it was coming, she knew she wouldn't be too hurt or killed, and she knew that Peach had always been kind to Bowser and his children no matter what they did. She wasn't intending on changing much from Peach's ways; she never really did.

The gown she put on almost surprised her. She almost instinctively reached for a dark, cherry-colored, long, and expensive-looking dress that was fit for true royalty. The dresses she wore back home may have been more casual, but this was the real deal. Over the cherry-colored silky fabrics there was draped black lace pinned down artistically in some areas with rubies. It had a substantial weight, and when she caught her reflection, Rose was stunned with how … _intimidating_ she looked? _Intimidating_ … that was not Rose Maria Toadstool. Rose Maria Toadstool was not _intimidating_. She tried to shake the thought from her head, but it wouldn't go away. She enjoyed the _power_ of it. But that was wrong … right? Deciding to just stop thinking, Rose ran swiftly out of her closet.

After a few minutes, she heard the awaited, "Princess Toadstool, are you ready?"

"Yes," she responded. The door opened, revealing two guard-looking "escorts," and she somewhat gingerly nodded and stepped between them as they locked the door behind her.

"The King has been expecting you, Princess," one of them said in a way that made Rose shiver. The other laughed, though nothing seemed to be funny.


	9. The Throne Room

The hallways of Bowser's Castle were places of misery. Rose always thought so and now all of her wildest imaginings of the Dark Lands were starting to come true. The hallways on the way to the Throne Room were dark, with torch-lights perched on the walls, but because it was daytime, there was still some light flooding through the windows. Outside of the windows, Rose could see more darkness and, in places, the dreaded shimmering lava. She touched the crown on her forehead; oh, how it contrasted with her dark dress! It was that same power struggle she didn't want to think about, and so she quickly turned her mind back to her surroundings.

The walls were mostly made out of stone, with moss flooding the cracks. Every now and then Rose and the guards would pass a servant (or possibly a slave) carrying something, or running somewhere (or from something), or talking with someone. Generally, though, the halls were empty. Rose tried not to think of the Castle's dark dungeons, lower floors, and more, and wondered if the Throne Room was indeed the most terrifying part of the Castle … well, she would soon find out.

"There ain't nothing to be scared of, Princess," one of the guards escorting her said, but the other laughed that dark-sounding laugh again. "You ain't gonna _die_."

"I'm aware," she responded. The rest of the walk was silent.

The Throne Room's gates, those dreaded gates, were large and ornate like those of the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland, but they were so much more dark and sinister, decorated with precious stones and metals of all kinds, that same moss and ivy seeping through them. Rose could have sworn that she saw _ENTER AT OWN RISK_ crudely scribbled on one part of the stone walls, but maybe it was just her imagination.

And slowly, menacingly, those gates opened. They opened smoothly, but still had a subtle screeching sound as they opened.

The Throne Room was everything that Rose had imagined it to be, and more. She had to admit, the craftsmanship of it was incredibly admirable. It's impossible to describe in few words, but the ceiling was tall and decorated generously, precious figurines, statues, and family portrait paintings lurked in every nook and cranny. The carpet was a dark blood-red, stitched carefully with golden thread. In some places, vines swung from ledges, somewhat reminding Rose of a jungle, but the floor was stone, brick in some places, and cold. The windows were larger than in any other part of the castle Rose had seen so far—but they were also very decorated, so much that they were very durable and guarded. What light there was outside seemed to be tinted red by the occasional lighted wall torch lights, and the light was hazy, almost misty, with visible dust particles floating through the air. And at the center of it all, was, of course, Bowser.

Had Peach been there, she would have probably said that Bowser looked no different and taken it very normally. Rose, however, was seeing him for the first time—so _this_ was the Bowser her parents have told her about and shown her pictures of, she thought. He really did look like Junior, but a much older version. He was still terrifying, perhaps even more than her parents had described, but she could imagine that in a few years Junior would look a lot more menacing than his father. Yet she had nothing to be afraid of, as the guard had said, she reminded herself. Whatever she was here for, she was certain of one thing: she wasn't going to be killed anytime soon. After all, why would they go through all this trouble to kidnap her, house her, feed her, and convince her to marry someone if they were just going to kill her? It didn't make sense.

Amidst all this thought, Rose didn't notice two things. First of all, the guards had left her, and second of all, Junior was in the room, just slightly out of sight because he was sitting on one of the Throne Room benches, not a throne. When she found herself again, she began to feel slightly horrified and wondered why she hadn't fainted yet.

"Ah, Princess Toadstool. We have been expecting you," came Bowser's deep, eerie growl. "I assume Prince Junior has informed you of the current events?"

Rose crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Yes," she responded. "somewhat."

"And I'm assuming it was nothing you wanted to hear?" he went on.

"It was nothing I wanted to hear, yet it was nothing that I didn't expect, as your plans haven't changed much since my mother's time here, and I'll have you know you won't hear anything from me that my mother wouldn't have said," Rose pointed out.

Bowser's eyes narrowed. Rose looked not unlike Peach, and yet her mannerisms were almost completely different. And yet, Junior had done his task and she was fooled: she thought she was here to be married off—in fact, she seemed quite convinced. Peach would have cried or begged for mercy at the extreme, but Rose seemed so perfectly calm. She had clearly been trained for these situations, and she had been trained well. It was the good old "don't let them know you fear them" rule, probably taught to her by Mario, if not even Peach. And yet, those troubles would soon be over, Bowser reminded himself.

"Your parentage is apparent," was all he said. Rose was silent.

Assuming that he would not receive a response, Bowser went on. "You will find your opinion changed soon enough. Ahead is a wonderful life for you, and if you cannot see that yourself, we will have to help you."

"There's nothing that you can help me with," Rose countered. "my loyalty to the Mushroom Kingdom, and my family, is always first to me."

"If that is true, then why won't you marry my son?" Bowser asked, in the same challenging way. "After all, regardless of your wishes it would be the best decision for your Kingdom's safety, and in the end your friends and relatives would probably want you to make it."

"The day that my relatives want me to marry Junior is the day I will consider doing so," Rose said. "But as far as I'm concerned, they would rather go to war than marry me off like this."

"And I assume it's your _father_ making these decisions?" he questioned.

"Mostly," Rose said. "But also, my mother, my aunt, and my uncle."

"Ah. The good old gang," Bowser said darkly. "How's your father doing, anyway?"

"He's as big of a threat to you as always, apparently," Rose noted smilingly. "So big of a threat, in fact, that you're willing to kidnap his innocent daughter to use her against him."

"You don't _sound_ innocent," Bowser said. _That Princess Rose,_ he thought. _She has no idea how right she is about the "against him" part._

"But I am," she spoke. "After all, I can't help who my parents were, and it's not my fault I was born—though I wouldn't change either of those."

"But you're the new Princess nevertheless, and that comes with responsibilities, I'm sure you're aware," Bowser said. "Though we don't know how many you've had, it will soon be known to you that you _will_ have more."

The Princess raised an eyebrow. "I don't follow," she said.

"You soon will," came a voice.

Rose peered into the shadows where Junior was sitting, but the voice hadn't come from him. When she saw the new approaching figure, her eyes widened.

That blue cloak, blue cap, those glasses, that specter … it was a Magikoopa. But it couldn't be …

"Good day, Princess," came a voice that was chilling to her. "You might have heard of me. Do you know who I am?"

Indeed, Rose knew. Her parents had, in fact, told her about him as well.

Finally, the young Princess found her voice.

" … _Kamek_?"


	10. The New Rose

"Ah, you are correct," said the ancient Magikoopa. "Your Majesty, you could have shared it with me. She is quite knowledgeable."

"But what is the significance?" the King asked. "Now, Kamek, my friend, would you care to explain to young Princess Rose Maria Toadstool here what we shall do?"

"It would be my pleasure," Kamek stated with an eerie smile. "Why, Princess, I have been informed that you are aware of our plans for you to be wed to the Prince?"

"Yes," Rose said, trying to remain calm. She was still not fully believing that she had met the Kamek her parents had told her about. "I have been informed, but I have not given any decision, neither agreement. Are you here to help persuade me?"

"I believe one could say that," Kamek chuckled, his voice sinister. "But let us just say, Princess, there has been a slight change of plans."

Nearly breathless from impending fear, Rose looked on with shock. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Surely you're not setting me free, so what other change of plans could there be?"

Kamek nodded, almost in approval. "You're intellectual, I see. Quite like your mother ... In fact, you have not been told the, say, exact point of our plans. Your Majesty, shall I inform the Princess?"

"Yes," Bowser said, his mouth curling into some kind of evil smile. "Make her as aware as you possibly can. Let her know the truth."

"Well, the truth is, Princess," Kamek said, nearly eagerly, "You are not here to be wed to Bowser Junior. That was never our original intention, you see."

Rose's first emotion was a wave of glee—she _wasn't_ being wed to her kidnapper's son! Then her eyes narrowed and she spoke slowly. "What is your _original_ plan, then? What was the reason not to reveal it in the first place?"

"Oh, that was His Majesty's decision, you see," Kamek explained. "You were not to be told right away, because the King and Prince were kind enough to allow you to adjust somewhat at first, so we told you something you could settle your mind with before you found out our true intentions."

"I'm listening," Rose said intently. The first step had been successful—her curiosity had been caught. The disgracefulness of the whole idea didn't surprise her, however; she had been told all kinds of things about the Dark Lands royal family.

"Princess, you are a beautiful, intellectual, powerful being," the Magikoopa stated. "And for that reason, you are a powerful ally to your own homeland Kingdom. But that will be changed. You would never agree to join us, is that not right?"

"You are correct," Rose said flatly. "I would never agree to serve the Dark Lands."

"That is what we thought," Kamek continued, unsurprised. "You would never agree to serve us _voluntarily._ Which is why you'll be serving us under our control."

"What do you mean?" Rose said. She wanted to run, to cry, to scream. But she was stunned and unable to move. She was almost beginning to struggle for air.

"Kamek here will put you under a powerful hypnosis, or mind-trick, if you will. You will go about a completely normal life, but your mind will be altered to obey our rules, not your parents'. Don't worry; only _some_ memories will be altered, but most will remain the same. Your name will not change; and your appearance, health, and strength will remain practically the same." Bowser seemed quite caught up in the action of it all.

"You're turning me against my own family?" Rose said, tears nearly brimming in her eyes. She knew she couldn't resist, and had almost resigned to her fate—surprisingly quickly, they noted. "I know I cannot resist it, so before you do anything, I will just tell you: this is a new low for you, Bowser. At least now I know that everything my parents told about you was true."

"Oh yeah? And what did they tell you about him?" Junior, who had been silent this entire time, had suddenly perked up with some kind of amusement.

"None of your business," Rose retorted, "but I'm pretty sure you can guess."

"Anyway," Bowser interjected quickly. "Shall we get down to business? Kamek?"

Before Rose could even gather her thoughts, a blue light shot out from Kamek's specter at an almost inhumane speed. When it hit the Princess, she collapsed on the ground in unconsciousness. The specter was still shining on her, however, covering her in some kind of sparkling blue glow.

Still carefully holding the specter, the Magikoopa approached Rose cautiously and slowly, as if he was trying not to wake her up—or kill her, who knows. Then, when he was standing right above her, the blue light shining in its most intense power, he spoke.

"What is your name?" he asked the sleeping form.

The Princess continued to appear unconscious, and her eyes remained shut, her body limp and paralyzed. However, her mouth moved and she responded in a monotone way, clearly in a trance.

"My name is Princess Rose Maria of the Dark Lands," she muttered.

"Now, listen to me," Kamek instructed, in that same careful manner. Rose gave no response.

"Your name is Princess Rose Maria of the Dark Lands," Kamek continued slowly. "You, one of the two Dark Princesses, are here voluntarily. All your life, your father, aunt, and uncle have made you miserable. You needed a way out, and chose wisely."

Junior noticed how Kamek hadn't said anything about Rose's mother. Clearly, Bowser still somehow had a soft spot for Peach and didn't want to set Rose's thoughts to hate her.

"You chose to escape and join the Dark Lands," Kamek went on. "And one day, when you were out for a walk, you noticed how the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom ignored and ridiculed you behind your back. In public, everyone would treat you well, but in private, your family would make you feel horrible and abuse you to no end, and the Kingd0m's residents laughed at you and talked endlessly about how you would never make a fitting Princess, let alone Queen. Full of determination, you escaped through the sewers to the Dark Lands, and were given a welcoming reception. You have beautiful Royal Quarters and everyone treats you here with true respect. Everything you have been told about the Dark Lands is a lie. And when your family arrives to take you away from the one place where you found joy, _you will destroy them_ , and you _will_ destroy your father first, who had put you in all of your troubles. And when you awaken, your only quest will be to serve the Dark Lands faithfully and annihilate those who have made you miserable in the past. This is your fate, Princess Rose Maria."

With that, Kamek retracted the beam of light from his specter and stood back. Then, he turned to Bowser.

"Hopefully our plan worked," he said, somewhat anxiously. "When she awakens, we shall see. If she is not entranced, we will repeat the process."

Bowser nodded, and focused his gaze intently on the sprawled-out figure on the floor. Junior looked on, excited for his father's plans, proud of his training … but something didn't feel right. The Rose Maria Toadstool, who was so … respectfully faithful to her parents and her Kingdom, was gone. And the one who emerged would never be her true self, unless Bowser authorized the retraction of the spell, which would never happen. And it was so—no! He threw himself back to reality. The plan had worked! Never again would he see the defiant young lady who was so unlike her mother in character, it seemed—he would have a faithful friend instead! Any other thought was ridiculous at such an advancement.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, but what was probably only a few minutes, Rose's body stirred. The air was still in anticipation. Slowly, oh so slowly, her form lifted from the ground and she stood up, yet her eyes remained closed, and her face expressionless. Finally, when she was standing upright, her eyes opened.

All seemed taken aback. The dancing pools of blue were gone. In their place stood eyes in every way the same as before, except for their color. They were now red. The color of evilness, the color of rage, the color of blood, the color of the seething lava of the Dark Lands … and yet they didn't seem dazed or hypnotized, and her still-beautiful face behaved just like a normal person's would.

At last, she spoke. Her voice was steady and focused, but in no way monotone. She didn't _seem_ hypnotized, but … "Oh, good morning, Your Majesty, Your Highness, our friend Kamek," this new character uttered pleasantly. "Did I doze off? I do beg your pardon. Ever since I've escaped my horrible life, I've felt unreal. I shall surely feel better soon. What did you call me in here for, again?"

Bowser smiled evilly, exchanging thankful looks with Kamek. Junior felt himself shivering for no reason. But why? It wasn't cold in the Throne Room.

"Not much, Princess," he said, satisfied yet in some way thrilled. "We simply wanted to warn you about your father's possible arrival in order to take you away from us."

Rose's eyes rippled with age. "Oh, worry not!" she cried. "I'll make sure that never happens! Anyone who comes to take away my joy shall suffer a horrible death! Anyone who has caused me suffering will suffer! And I will forever remain here, for here is my life now!"

Once again, Bowser smiled, thrilled with his plan's success. Finally, all his work was paying off!

"It is wonderful to hear that, Your Highness," he said. "You may return to your Royal Chambers now. Guards!"

"Yes?" A guard rushed into the room obediently.

"Take the lock off of Her Highness's Royal Chambers, shall you? After all, there's no need for it … anymore."

The guard looked surprised, and slightly horrified when he saw Rose's eyes, but knew better than to question anything. He nodded to Rose, and she smiled slightly. He escorted her out of the Throne Room promptly, and the doors were shut loudly.

"You will be rewarded very handsomely, my friend," Bowser said delightfully, turning to Kamek. "Turns out the greatest weapon to use is, in fact, free will—oh, who could have thought?! Now leave us, Junior. We will discuss further rewards and arrangements."

The last thing Junior saw before obediently leaving the Throne Room through a back door was Kamek's pleased smile. Something still felt off, but he shook that feeling off for now. As he headed towards his rooms he wondered how Peach would have felt about this, but quickly returned his mind to a state of excitement for his new Dark Land accomplice.

And as Rose was escorted to _her_ rooms, one feeble thought escaped through the powerful mind blocks ironed into her brain by Kamek's hypnosis spell.

 _I'm sorry …_


End file.
